Day11-1 Kings 22, 2 Kings 1-25, 1 Chronicles 1-3

Wandering Disciple

Today's reading started with one of the funniest verses in the Bible, it Never fails to make me laugh out loud. It sounds like the whining of a spoiled child, but it's a man who's supposed to be a king. Evil Ahab has proposed to his southern neighbor to join him to go to battle. The invited king asked if there is a man of God they should enquire with first. Ahab replies, "There is yet one man, Micaiah son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good for me, but evil." The other king mutters, "You shouldn't say things like that."

In enters Micaiah. He tells the king a ridiculously ear-pleasingly mocking reply of what he knows Ahab wants to hear. But the king knows since he's saying something nice, that he's being openly sarcastic. And then he shouts at the man of God, "How many times must I charge you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?!" Man, cracks me up every time...

2 Kings goes straight for the action from the start. A king sends for Elijah to be apprehended by a group of 50 soldiers. Elijah doesn't feel like going, so he sends fire down from heaven and kills them all.

The king sends another group of 50 demanding he go with them. Elijah calls some more fire down from heaven.

The third group, the leader of it is a bit smarter and more humble than the first two, he falls on his knees and pleads with Elijah to go with them to go and speak with the king. Since he asked nicely, and an angel told him it was okay, Elijah agrees to go and confirm the death sentence on the king.

Immediately after, Elijah is walking along with his replacement, and he parts the Jordan river by striking it with his rolled up overcoat. One last miracle for fun. And a little while later is swept up in a flaming chariot driven by a flaming angel and taken into heaven in the middle of a conversation between Elijah and Elisha.

Elisha picks up the mantle Elijah left behind. He has asked for double portion of Elijah's spirit upon himself. He doesn't feel like wading across the river, so he tries that rolled up clothing trick his old teacher taught him and it works!

Apparently, Elisha had a bit of a monk hairstyle going on. He was passing through a town on his way to Bethel and some youths old enough to absolutely know what they were doing was wrong, but they did it anyway. This gang of rude youngsters rushed all the way out of the city to go harass this poor traveller who just lost his best friend and were shouting at and mocking Elisha for being bald. So he cursed them, and two bears came out of the woods and ripped 42 of them to pieces. We've got a thing to remember about reverence and respect for our elders, we would care if stuff like this still happened.

Chapter 4 is one of the stories that was hard to read today. I had to stop and take a few breaths in between to stop choking on tears. Elisha likes staying with this nice husband and wife, who decide to build a room for him anytime he's in town. For their kindness, he asks what he can do in return. His servant suggested that they have no children. Elisha calls for the wife and says, "This time next year, you will be holding your little son in your arms." She begs him not to lie to her in giving her such hopes as that. It's too much to bear. But sure enough, Elisha pops by and there she is holding a son. A few years later, the little boy has some ailment with his head, is taken back to his mother, and he dies on her lap. She puts him on the bed and runs to Elisha and says, "Did I Ask you for a son? Didn't I say not to deceive me?" Elisha rushes back to her house and raises the little boy from the dead.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES. Elisha's in trouble as always, a king sends a massive army to come nab him. His servant is freaking out and says," Master, what shall we do?" Elisha calmly responds, "Fear not, for those with Us are more than those with Them." Lord, open his eyes....